Expectations
by Kyizi
Summary: Janeways thought on first meeting everyone's favourite Maquis Captain. (Chakotay POV to follow)


Expectations

**_By Kyizi_**

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**_Disclaimer: _**_These characters do not belong to me. Only the actual story is mine. Some of these lines are taken directly from script (all the speech basically!) and they're not mine either._

**_Rating:_**_ PG _

**_Timeline:_**_ Having gone back to the very start of Voyager to write Star Trek: Liberty, I found myself needing to involve the Captain and Chakotay in the first two episodes, but I've had to focus on minor characters, so this is a little story series from the POV's of Janeway and Chakotay. This is set during Caretaker, Part 1 (i.e. the pilot). But don't worry if you haven't read Liberty, there's nothing spoilery, (after all, we're in the first ep!) and there's nothing in here that you need to know from the fic either._

**_Summary:_**_ Janeway's thoughts on first meeting a certain Maquis Captain._

**_Feedback:_**_ Always :)_

**_E-mail:_**_ kyizi@hotmail.com_

**_Notes:_**_ Janeway POV. I tried to make her a little light hearted here as this is before they're definitely stranded in the Delta Quadrant, hope you don't think that makes her out of character! Enjoy!_

_And for someone who hates reading/writing in first person, I'm sure doing a lot of that lately!_

_~x~x~x~x~x~_

To be honest, I don't know what I suspected. I'd seen his picture in his Star Fleet file, I'd spent hours pouring over it, just to prepare this mission and yet, even after all that, I still can't pinpoint what it is that I don't understand about him. 

I spoke to him for all of five minutes and already I'm wondering what to think about him. I never liked making assumptions about people. I hated it when I was typecast so I sure as hell tried not to do it to other people. And yet, he still isn't what I expected.

His jaw set when he was told I was sent after him. Well, what had he expected? I'm a Starfleet Officer, of course I had a duty to fulfil; he was trained himself, he should know that. And yet, when he gave me that look, I felt…well, _guilty_. Don't ask me how. Perhaps it was some innate sense I had that made me want to be on his side. Why this man, I don't know, but it's there, I can feel it.

I'm trying to keep my posture stoic as ever, trying to make sure that my crew have no idea what I'm thinking about, but I don't know how well I'm doing. Well, no one's abandoned ship yet, so I can't be doing that bad. 

Any moment now they'll be here, on this bridge and that knowledge soon has my stomach filled with butterflies. Is it because, after seeing that look on his face, I'm afraid to see it again? I don't know, but I have a feeling that he won't be happy to find out that Tuvok was a spy among his ranks, he'll be seen as a traitor…and so will I.

I don't know why I assumed it, but I thought that my butterflies would go away the minute he arrived. They didn't. In fact, I'd say they increase tenfold. There was nothing unusual about him, nothing that made him stand out in any particular way – except perhaps that tattoo, I'd have to ask him about that sometime – and yet, he did.

I took a deep breath and vaguely noted that Ensign Rollins was stating the obvious; they were armed. It stuns me that an intelligent man such as this would feel the need to make pointless statements when I was obviously aware of the situation, as was the rest of the crew.

"Put away your weapons. You won't need those here. It's good to have you back, Mr. Tuvok." And the bomb drops. I wasn't sure what I was doing, but he had to find out somehow and being devoid of any tact, that seemed the best way to do it. 

He's giving me that look again. Somehow I know that, if I live to see this through and we're all in one piece, I'll learn to hate that look. In fact, I hated it already. Just wait till he sees Paris, I thought idly.

I almost feel like sighing, but I don't. Just as I feel like inspecting him, but I don't (I think this is a good thing, giving him a once over really wouldn't bode well in this situation). I guess it just unnerves me that I even care. One of my crew is missing, as is one of his; someone he cares for deeply, from what I can see. He's here isn't he? On the 'enemy' ship. 

With that thought in mind, I'm feeling all business now. I look at him; he's spotted Paris and he's not happy, but I'm not about to let him waltz in and act that way towards a member of my crew. Perhaps it's, again, some sense of inbuilt loyalty towards Admiral Paris' son, or perhaps it's simply that I feel there's more to Tom than one would think, either way, I have to stand up for him.

"You're speaking to a member of my crew. I expect you to treat him with the same respect as you would have me treat a member of yours." At least he has the decency to look like he'll abide my wishes. Okay, so it perhaps came out as more of an order, either way it got the job done.

"Now, we have a lot to accomplish, and I suggest we all concentrate on finding our people and getting ourselves back home."

I know I've completely taken charge, well it is my ship, but he doesn't seem to mind that much. Is it possible that he has this strange feeling as well? I don't know, and to be honest, I don't know if I want to. When this is all over, I'll likely have to hand him over to the authorities. _Likely?_ Okay, so it's pretty safe to say that that's what'll have to happen. I guess I'll have to ask him about the tattoo soon. 

"Break out the compression phaser rifles. Meet us in transporter room two; we're going back. We'll divide into teams. Mr. Tuvok, while Chakotay and I are looking for Torres and Kim, your job is to find out as much about this array as you can. It brought us here, we have to assume it can send us home." I turn to Chakotay and he seems to be listening to me, "Agreed?" I ask, hoping that he didn't mind my assumption of pairing us together. He doesn't seem to.

"Mr. Rollins, maintain red alert. Keep us on constant transporter locks."

Just as I'm preparing to leave, I notice a strange look pass over Chakotay's face, perhaps he did mind, or perhaps he's glaring at Tom, I'm not entirely sure. But regardless, I ignore my hope that it's the latter and turn to Mr. Paris.

"Captain, I'd like to go with you."

I feel like groaning, I hope I didn't but this macho thing wasn't something I was in the mood for. Ensign Kim was missing, Chakotay's engineer was missing and I wasn't in the mood to witness a pissing contest.

"If this has something to do with what Chakotay said…" I begin, and I have to say I'm almost shocked when I'm cut off. I don't know why, but I assumed I was correct, how wrong could I be?

"It isn't, I'd just…I'd hate to see anything happen to Harry."

I want to smile. At least something I've hoped for was true. Mr. Tom Paris has a heart, although I guess young Ensign Kim's slight naiveté inspired a little faith in people. It's always nice to know that somewhere in the universe there are people that still believe in having a little faith. I find it refreshing when I look at my own jaded perceptions.

"Come on." 

As we walk towards the transporter room, I find myself wondering again. Wondering what it is about Chakotay that unnerves me. But whatever it is, it wants to remain anonymous for a while and that's fine with me. Well, no it isn't really. Call it an impossible streak but I always have to be in control, I can admit that to myself, at least, and something about this leaves me feeling that I have no control what so ever. 

So, along with getting our people back and finding a way home, I have another mission and I've decided to accept it, after all, I wouldn't be me if I didn't; I will find out what makes Chakotay different, even if it takes light years to do so. 

_~x~x~x~x~x~_

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_Hope you all like :)_

_A Chakotay POV to follow sometime soon :)_

_  
For those of you interested in joining, I have a Yahoo! Group for my AU series Star Trek: Liberty. If you want to read the episodes and fics first, supply ideas and comments about the series/characters/episodes etc. or if you want to write fics or even an episode of the series then please join, I'd love to see you :)_

_The group can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group.star_trek_liberty_


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